Scotland/Scots > Life of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Ellerslie, and Guardian of Scotland

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.
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fortifications. Throughout the whole range of
the forest of Clydesdale, Wallace and his follow¬
ers held undisputed sway; and, emerging from
parts least expected'by the enemy, surprised and
cut off their convoys. Sir Aymer de Vallence,
Earl of Pembroke, who occupied Bothwell Castle,
made several attempts to drive them from their
woodland retreats ; but all his efforts had ended
in discomfiture and disgrace; while the prison¬
ers left in their hand.4 were hung up, at different
parts, along the skirts of the forest, as a warning
to all hostile intruders. These proceedings on
the part of the Scots, alarmed and perpleied the
English, as it kept them in profound ignorance
of the numbers they had to cope with. Left
to their own conjectures, their heated ima¬
ginations peopled the impenetrable recesses of
the woods with swarms of fierce and mer¬
ciless enemies, headed by a chief, against whose
sword the strongest of their armour afforded
but a feeble protection.
From the apprehensions thus excited, the
English commanders found it prudent to con¬
centrate their forces near Glasgow, for the pur¬
pose of taking such measures as the state of
their affairs might require. The alarming ac¬
counts which they had all to communicate from
their several stations, made it difficult to deter-